Can Manufactured Bands Ever Be Classified As 'Good' Art? The Effect O
...of Music
Introduction
Manufactured bands now make up a major percentage of chart music today,
not least of them Take That, Boyzone, Bad Boys inc., East 17 and other all-boy
pop bands. In this essay I would like to discuss how the standard of art has
been lowered by the capitalistic system of the music industry, using a specific
example - "Upside Down", which is maybe the latest addition to this genre of
music.
By this genre of music, I mean the all-boy bands which have been
specifically manufactured and targeted at the 'teenybopper' age class (and also
the gay market?).
Personal Opinions
To argue that this form of art is 'bad' art, one must have a reference
point - a set of values by which to judge. This is almost always a personal
opinion, and I would first of all like to explain my personal opinion.
I believe that 'good' art has something to offer to the individual
perceiver, be it painting, book, film, dance or music. These are all different
forms of art, but one thing binds them all together - the fact that they are
creations, created and crafted to the personal specifications of the artist.
This makes the product original.
Two values by which I judge music are creativity and originality. I
believe that good art provides 'food for thought' - that special something which,
after the tape has finished, after leaving the cinema or closing a book, leaves
an 'aftertaste' - something to think about, be it, 'how did he/she play that' or,
'what was he/she trying to say with that piece,' the list goes on.
Basic Market Analysis
For the purposes of this essay, I want to split marketing into two
general strategies. The first of these is where the designers make a "product"
to their own specifications and then look to see where and how they will be able
to sell it in the overall market. The second strategy is the opposite of the
first - the designers examine...
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